OREANDA-NEWS. On October 30, 2007 the latest extended session of the Collegium of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) took place, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

Opening the session, the Head of FAS Russia Igor Artemiev presented the report "2006 Results and the Main Directions of the FAS Russia's Work in 2008-2010", which had been already approved by the Government of the Russian Federation. The participants also discussed № 218-FZ Federal Law of 24.07.2007 "On Introducing Amendments to the Federal Law "On State and Municipal Procurement of Goods, Works and Services" that came into force on 1st October 2007.

In addition, the Collegium summed up the interim results of enforcing the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition", which took effect on 26th October 2006. Its enactment resulted in pivotal transformation of the Russian antimonopoly laws that were radically modernized to meet the standards of the international antimonopoly practice and conform to the realities of Russian economic development.

To date, FAS Russia has compared information regarding the work of its central office and regional offices for the first six months of 2006 with the first half-year of 2007.

Interim analysis of the above data showed that the number of cases, initiated on the grounds of violating the antimonopoly legislation, slightly went down in the period of adaptation of the state and the society to the new legal field for protection and development of competition. However, the amount of violations revealed in course of the cases consideration increased. At the same time, the number of cases brought upon FAS Russia's initiative reduced by 25%, while the number of cases initiated upon petitions submitted by economic entities and individuals increased by 10%.

Removing excessive administrative barriers imposed upon economic entities, particularly cutting down the list of transactions and activities, requiring preliminary permission of the antimonopoly authority, and raising thresholds, defining whether an activity or a transaction is subject to preliminary authorization, proved effective. Drop in the number of petitions and notifications received by FAS Russia was less than predicted; however, violations related to the order of presentation or failure to submit petitions and notifications decreased considerably.

Detailed analysis of the enforcement of the new antimonopoly law will be based on the overall results for 2007.